The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1887-08-06

~''st" " f""sssy <'3"o S"s'
School in Ohio.--Gets Married License
issued by Dirid Walker. and Ceremony
by Esq. Robbins The indian Mission
Sehooi-A Primitive MiH-Other Pho.
neer Incidents.
At the beginning Of that winter John
Strawn had bought. lot Of hogs from a
man living near Peoria. The big snow
fell and Mr.. 3. could not 60 for his pork.
ers. The farmer, impatient to get rid of
them, came TO Stra~n's, all the way on
snow shoes, TO tell him that he Was out OF
feed and advising that they be killed and
the pork hauled; but the snow increased
In quantity and nothing conld be done. In
the spring Strawn and a couple Ct hired
hands went over 10 see about what had be-
come of his pigs, and found the man had
sold them, but he accounted for the pro
ceeds In perfectly satisfactory manner to
Strawn.
The latter and his men In returning en-.
countered the mighty freshet of the spring
of 1881. His horse carried him safely
swimming every stream; but his men, on
foot, had to stay a couple of ~ hts and
days on an island In Crow Creek, food In
the shape Of biscuits being supplied by
throwing them across the stream. The
water In the rivers and creeks was highe
that spring than any white man had re
membered to have seen, and there were {
number of aged Indians about Lacon wh'
said that II was the greatest flood of any IL
their remembrance and traditions for age
previous.
THE FAMILY ARRIVED.
Next spring, that of 1881, Mr. Armstrong
built dwelling and blacksmith shop OF
Lacon Prairie. About May his mother
Elsie and his brothers arrived fIom Obi
and stopped awhile at John Strawn's, NOV
lag up to Deer Park that summer, where
Mrs A. had made claim, which after
wards and for many years was known a
the Armstrong Place." after helping hi
brothers to build house. Here his broth
ers William and Joel were taken will
ague. Some one had heard that a sur
cure for ague was % battle in cold water
Accordingly an able bodied hired maj
seized William and doused him In a pom,
of Ice water, which" John 5. remarked
dryly, pretty near finished the future En-
peror of Grundy," rs Bill was afterward
called.
RETURNS TO ONO.
In Dec 1881 John 5. returned to Ohio
partly to assist In adjusting some bushes
affairs and partly to improve his defects o
education. As previously stated, his earl
and only schooling had been quite Unite,
and of very Indifferent character. In hi
brief intercourse with the world "on hi
own hook" he discovered his want of In
formation in the common branches o
learning and felt that he could not put In
year or so of time TO better advantage thai
in attending some good school. He foun'
what he wanted near his old home and az
piled himself faithfully to study tor over
year. He returned 10 Deer Park In May
1888, greatly improved In scholarship. Ii
made a claim and broke 30 acres OF lan'
that summer, near the Reynolds farm, soutl
of Utica, and cut hay and sowed winte
wheat thereon.
GETS MARRIED..
He had for some time been acquainted
with the family of Abraham Trumbo, an
other pioneer settler Of this county, AM
was attracted by the superior charms AM
practical good sense of Miss Margare
Trumbo, who possessed all the desirable
requirements TO make fitting mate for al
enterprising young settler of Mr.. Arm
strong's peculiar qualities, and they wer
married January 1st, 1884. The llcens
was issued by David Walker, clerk Of tn
court, and the ceremony performed by f.
quire Robbins In the presence of small
party of neighbors, at the cabin of tn
brides mother, on the Trumbo farm, nea
Ottawa. Mr.. Trumbo was an EXTENSIVE
land owner, and gave the young coupl
their choice of five different and excellen
locations They chose the fine farming re
gion at Mission Point.
THE INDIAN MISSION SCHOOL.
"In 1926 Rev, Jesse Walker, (uncle o
Geo +. Walker, La Sale codnty's frs
sheriff. the pioneer Methodist minister
Northern IlliHois conceived the idea o
outstanding and educating the Pottawa'
tamIe Indians of Illinois These Indian
had been on terms Of peace with the Uni
ted States and her people for about lively
years, and were undisputed owners OF tn
land lying along the Illinois river from
Peoria to Lake Michigan. He obtained
permi ssion 10 erect what he called "a mis-
sion upon Sec. Is, T. 80, In the county o
La Sale. Here he built commodiou,
double hewed-log cabin, and some out
buildings, and opened school for the re
ligious training Of the youthful Indians
who for short time attended out OF curl
osity But the good elder soon became
believer Ia total depravity, for he fount
that Ephraim was Joined to his idols am
was forced to let him alone. The Indian
were too much welded TO the legends anC
g., 1, 4